Safe and Sound
by I'm Wasting My Time
Summary: Highschool/thenUniversity AU. Eren wants to play rugby when he enters university. Armin wants to play by his side, and Mikasa wants to watch over them both. Contains mild language and Armikasa because otp. Also has jeanmarco, springles, and possibly ereri but idk yet.
1. Chapter 1

A few weeks after the dreaded incident, my foster brother Eren Jaegar informs me that he is going to introduce me to his best and only friend, Armin Arlert. Eren has arranged for Armin and I to meet in just a week. I look forward to meeting Armin. Eren describes him as small and blonde. A rather useless description, but I'm sure it won't be too hard to recognise the boy. When the day finally arrives, I rush over to Eren's bed and prod his stomach. "Eren," I whisper, "It's time to get up."

"No.." Eren mumbles, swatting my little hands away.

"We're going to see Armin, Eren. Come on. Get up."

"It's too early."

"If you don't get up now, I'm going to just go on my own." Silence. "Alright. I'll be at the field near Hannes' store, where we arranged to meet. Don't be too late." I change out of my nightgown and into a long, white dress. Tugging on my boots and wrapping my scarf around my neck, I head out and run to the designated meeting point. I notice straight away the boy's blonde hair reflecting the summer sun. I stare at the boy as I slowly approach him. Armin's sat crossed-legged on a patch of grass, surrounded by purple flowers, with a book in his hand. I don't know what he's reading, but whatever it is, it's causing a smile to grow on the boy's round face. Curious, I sit down a few inches to his right and glance over his shoulder. The blonde smells like tender vanilla. "What are you reading?" I ask the boy, and he snaps his book shut and hugs it tightly to his chest. I must have surprised him.

"Uhm, I, it's, uh..." The boy's words fall out of his mouth without much thought being processed, "It's called The B.F.G..."

"B.F.G?" I tilt my head in confusion, "Is it good?"

"B.F.G stands for Big Friendly Giant," Armin mumbles, angling his head so that his eyes are hidden beneath his fringe, "It's very good. You're Mikasa, right?" I nod. "Where's Eren?"

"He slept in, but he should be here soon. Can you read some to me?" I ask, and Armin complies. The BFG has about 200 pages, and we get through them together. The main character, Sophie, is snatched from her orphanage early one morning by the BFG, whom she witnesses engaged in mysterious activities, and whisked away to Giant Country. She is soon put at ease, as she learns that BFG's job is to collect, catalogue and deliver pleasant dreams to children. She joins him that night, but the mean giants follow them, planning to eat the children. Sophie enlists the help of the Queen, by making up a dream for her, and with the backing of the armed forces, they defeat the mean giants. After we finish reading the book, Eren still hasn't turned up, and Armin asks what should we do now. I propose we make flower chains.

"How do you make them?" Armin asks, delicately plucking the flowers around him. I pick up some of my own flowers and show him how he has to pierce the stem with his fingernail. I decide to make two crowns, one for Eren and one for Armin, and then the one Armin is making shall be mine. I finish Armin's flower crown and place it ontop of his soft, golden locks, smiling at how the purple goes well with his blonde hair. A light blush stains Armin's cheeks, but he returns the smile.

"Would ya look at that?" A harsh voice snickers, "Arlert here has gotten more in touch with his feminine side." Armin rises to his feet. If he weren't trembling, he'd look strong.

"Is that supposed to be an insult?" Armin barks back, his voice shaky, "Do you think by implying I'm a girl is supposed to degrade me? It's people like you who insult women, and then proceed to complain about how no girls ever like you. If you take a moment to pause, you'd realise that the only thing wrong with you is your own stupidity. Everything else falls under that catergory."

I slowly stand up, staring at the boys. There's three of them, and they're all tall. One of them has dirty blonde hair, another has dark brown and the third has grey hair. The one with the dirty blonde hair seizes the front of Armin's shirt, lifting him off his feet in the process. "Did you just call me stupid?" The boy spits in Armin's face, "I'm not the one actin' like a girl!" The way Armin's being held is painfully familiar.

"Why do you think being a girl is such a bad thing?!" Armin yells. For someone so physically weak, I assumed that he'd just give in under such a situation.

"Yes, why do you think being a girl is such a bad thing?" I glare at the boys, asking the question before they can continue to insult Armin. The boys exchange a glance with one another, and the one holding Armin drops him carelessly onto the ground.

"Well..." The dark haired one rubs the back of his neck, "Women aren't as strong as men... Everyone knows that."

"Looks like Armin has a little girlfriend, standing up for him," The grey haired one smirks, "Perhaps he is a man, after all."

Armin begins to blush and file excuses of how it isn't like that. Bored of where this conversation is going, I sigh and charge at the boy. I position myself carefully, aiming for the stomach area with my shoulder. Once I hit him, I pick up the boy's legs and then hurl him onto the ground. A basic rugby tackle. "Leave us alone." I order, glaring at the other two. As soon as the one who I tackled is back on his feet, they all flee and Armin is staring at me with a look of amazement on his face.

"Wow..." He breathes, his eyes wide as his lips curl into a smile, "You're... wow. How did you learn to tackle like that?"

"Eren wants to play rugby..." I mumble, "You probably already know that, but he watches it all the time and practices his tackle a lot."

"Rugby can be such a dangerous sport, though," Armin sighs. I nod, and I notice Eren running towards us.

"Mikasa!" My brother pants, bearing a disgruntled expression, "Why didn't you tell us where you'd ran off to?!"

"I thought it would've been obvious." My heart begins to ache. Is Eren mad at me?

"Mikasa," Eren whines, "It wasn't. I thought you'd been kidnapped. Don't ever run off like that again, alright?"

"Okay. I'm sorry, Eren." I hide beneath my red scarf. Eren's harsh scowl melts into a softer expression as he mumbles about how I don't need to apologise.

"I take it that you two get along well, then?" Eren asks, and Armin smiles sheepishly through his blush.

"Yeah!" The small blonde exclaims, "Mika's amazing! Oh, it's alright if I call you Mika, right?" Armin turns to me with the most earnest expression etched upon his features.

"Sure." I answer, and my reply causes Armin to break out into an even wider smile. The boy's eyes crinkle, and Eren smiles slightly at his friend. He notices the book in Armin's arms.

"Is that the book?!" Eren gasps, tapping on the hardback that rests in Armin's hands. Armin shakes his head.

"It's not the action one that you like, no." Armin tells Eren, "But we can talk about that, if you like. I have another theory."

I listen as the boys get excited over their discussion. I can't help but smile at their happiness. In the moment, I vow to myself to not only protect Eren at all costs, but also Armin, because I don't think I could live in a world without his precious smile.


	2. Chapter 2

It soon become a common thing for me to fight against the local bullies. Armin seemed to be their favourite victim, possibly because of how Eren always got so worked up to protect his best friend, yet they always seemed to forget that I fight for Armin, too. And I always win.

Eren, Armin and I entered the same high school, with the agreement to all meet at the bus stop. So, that is what we do. Every morning, I wake up and tell Eren to do the same, but he ignores my orders. Rather than giving him too much attention, I leave him in the hands of Carla and Grisha and change into my school uniform. Once I'm good and ready, which usually just takes fifteen minutes, I set out of the house. Armin and I meet at the bus stop quite early, and I begin to question if Armin had gotten here ages before the designated time, seeing as I'm rather early myself. Armin and I make small talk, usually about Eren, and then await our friend's presence in silence. For a good few weeks, that's just how it is. Nonetheless, the little conversations did teach me quite a lot about Armin. His favourite colour is blue, he finds the ocean waves make the most calming noise, he's currently conflicted as to whether he should cut his hair or grow it out, and he's actually pretty strong. Apparently, Armin has been training himself so that he too can apply for the rugby team once we get into university. It's mainly Eren's dream to get into Sina University and fight their rival team, the Titans, who always win in every match. It's almost as if they just aren't human, with the way they're all so big and scary. Not that I'm scared of them. I'm sure that with Armin's clever tactics, Eren's determination and my strength, the three of us could defeat them with ease. Once we're in university, of course. "Do you want to spar, then?" I propose, seeing as I do wish to find out just how strong Armin is.

"Oh, no," Armin shakes his head, "I'm not that strong. I wouldn't be able to spar with you or with Eren. I can lift heavy things, though, and possibly take on someone who's small... and weak..."

"Pick me up." I command. Armin complies, giggling as he notes that I sound like a toddler demanding to be lifted, slipping an arm underneath my knees and placing the other on my back. Armin carries me with ease. "How long can you carry me for, though?" I ask him as I snake my arms around his neck for more support.

"I'm not sure," Armin answers honestly, "I suppose a little while. I wouldn't ever drop you, though."

"Thanks, I guess," I giggle, ruffling the fifteen year old's blonde hair. I love Armin's hair. The soft blonde locks tend to curl and flick in all directions, and I often catch myself imaging Armin with various different hairstyles. Sometimes I wonder if his hair is long enough to be tied up in one of those half-ponytails, whilst other times I picture him having short hair. I quite like the idea of him having short hair. I myself keep my hair long, though I often want to change it. "Armin," I say his name, serious, "Do you think my hair is okay the way it is?" Armin's face turns a slight pink.

"Uhm," Armin stammers, suddenly unsure of what to say. I suppose it is a pretty dangerous subject, with my strength and whatnot. "I like your hair no matter how you style it, Mikasa. It's very pretty, whether it's long, short, up, or down."

"Thanks, Armin." I smile.

Finally, my tardy brother shows up. Eren is clearly out of breath, and yet he still manages to wheeze a sarcastic, 'Am I interrupting something?"

"Sorry!" Armin hastily plants me back onto my feet. I'm unsure if Armin was apologising to me or to Eren, but I'm just going to assume it was directed to Eren. I don't know why, though. Strange. "We were just talking about Mikasa's hair."

Eren pauses, observing my straight, raven black locks. My foster brother inspects it, stroking the bottom of my long hair. "I think," Eren ponders aloud, "I think you'd suit it short."

"Okay," I nod, "I'll cut it. How short, though?" Eren scrunches up his face in thought, before glancing over at Armin.

"Perhaps Armin's length?" Eren suggests. I nod. I suppose I could go to the hairdresser's with Armin and Eren tomorrow after school.

"I remember when you used to demand Eren and I braid your hair," Armin smiles, tugging my hair gently. It's true.

"Really?" I turn to smile at my blonde friend, "Because I remember you begging to style my hair."

"That was only because you said I was good at it and you liked it!" Armin huffs. Eren nods vigorously.

"Yeah!" Eren contributes, "You always said you loved it when Armin and I played with your hair!"

"I loved it because you always tried your best," I inform them, a smile playing on my lips, "Looking back at the photographs we took, you two were quite terrible when it came to braiding and plaiting." Armin and Eren exchange a glance.

"Armin." Eren says, rather obnoxiously, "How long do we have until the bus arrives?"

"Seven minutes." Armin answers, just as arrogantly as Eren. The two are plotting something. "Exactly." Without warning, Eren and Armin seize me and wrestle me to the bench. I don't bother putting up much of a front, however Armin wasn't kidding when he told me he had been training. Eren and Armin sit on my knees, in an attempt to keep me pinned down, as the work away at my hair. I sigh, but accept it. The two work their fingers as they messily plait my hair. They finish with two minutes to spare before the bus arrives.

I board the bus silently, positive that my hair is now a total mess, but it doesn't bother me. I do still love when Armin and Eren work together and play with my hair. Armin is pleasantly gentle and Eren is determined, and they both do their best. As I find some empty seats, I hear Sasha Braus giggle. "What?" I ask her, my tone cold and menacing.

"Nothing..." The girl cackles. I roll my eyes and sit down. I hear her and her best friend, Connie Springer, continue to snicker. Whether the two are just genuinely laughing at some dumb joke as they usually are or if they find my hair funny, I don't know. Armin and Eren sit behind me, leaning forward so they rest on the back of my seat.

"Hey, Mika," Armin says softly, "You don't have to wear your hair like that, you know. You were right. We're terrible at doing your hair."

"Actually, Armin," Eren interrupts, a sly grin on his face, "You're terrible. I think my half looks pretty good." I smile at the two as I allow my hair to once again fall loose. As our bus reaches it's next stop, two boys get on. One of them flicks Eren in the back of the head as he walks past, whilst the other apologises and scolds his friend. "Jean, you bastard!" Eren yells, leaping onto his feet and chasing Jean in order to return to hit, "I'll get you for that, just you wait!" Ah, yes. Eren, Armin and I must spend our years in high school with these people. Whilst myself and Armin aren't on bad terms with any of the people in our year, Eren isn't an easy person to get along with. Jean irritates Eren, and undoubtably Eren irritates Jean, so whilst we all finish up high school together, the two are constantly fighting. In class, in corridors, on the bus, during break and during lunch hour. The two are constantly at each other's throats. Jean's freckled friend, Marco, is constantly having to tear the two apart. Eren returns to his seat grumbling. "Anyway, Armin," he mutters bitterly, "Why were you carrying Mikasa?" I can't help but notice Jean perk up from a few rows behind, staring directly at Eren and Armin with a displeased expression.

"Oh, uhm," Armin mumbles, "I've been training recently... For when we join the Sina rugby team, you know? I mean... We do finish high school this year. And so Mikasa wanted me to prove that I'm strong now, so I picked her up to prove it..."

"Rugby?" Jean scoffs, "How pathetic. Why would you take up such a dumb sport?"

"Shut up, Jean." Eren snaps.

"Oh, that's right," Jean continues, "Eren Jaeger here is desperate to play for the same team that the great Levi once played for!"

"Shut your whore mouth right now, Kirschtein."

"How can a mouth be a whore?" Connie intrudes in on the conversation. His question causes Armin to spare a pensive expression.

"From suckin' too much dick!" Sasha answers wearing a smug grin on her face and a mouthful of french bread. I didn't even notice the miniature baguette in her hand.

"Does Eren know something we don't?" Connie smirks, and the duo glance over at Eren, both of them wearing an identical, creepy look on their face.

"As if I'd ever do Jaeger!" Jean protests.

"There's no denial that Jean likes dick, though," Eren notes, "Tell me, Kirschtein, is it Marco?"

"Is what me?" Marco trembles, his face blushing a furious red. Fortunately for both Jean and Marco, the bus reaches the school at that exact moment and the two flee off the bus at light speed. Honestly, I don't know what they're so worried about. No one really cares that they both like men. I mean, why would people care?

"Armin," Eren hops off the bus first, followed by Armin, and then me. Armin hums to show that he's listening, and Eren continues, "What's our first lesson today?"

"Science," Armin answers, "Do you ever check your time table?"

"No." At least Eren's honest. Our lessons for today are Science, History, French, English, and Maths. A decent day, I suppose. Thankfully, the three of us are all in the same classes, and with Armin and I having last names that both begin with A, the two of us sit close in most of our lessons. Eren is often placed with Jean, or sometimes a girl named Annie Leonhart. She's short, quiet, and always seems bored. I have yet to make my judgement on her.


End file.
